Judgment Day

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Judgment Day

An American woman who's spent the last five years in Peruvian prisons on a treason conviction is now awaiting a civilian trial after her life sentence by a secret military court was overturned. Lori Berenson, 30, arrived in Lima on Thursday for her new trial, a longtime demand of U.S. officials. The prosecutor handling the case, however, predicts the New York native will still receive a minimum 20-year sentence. Berenson was found guilty of treason by a military tribunal in January 1996 after being accused of helping the rebel Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement plan an attack on Peru's Congress. U.S. officials have criticized Peru's judicial system, saying its trials don't meet internationally accepted standards of due process.